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Sci-Fi collection

Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Call Number: SCI ASIM
ISBN: 9780008117498
Long after Earth was forgotten, a peaceful and unified galaxy took shape, an Empire governed from the majestic city-planet of Trantor. The system worked, and grew, for countless generations. Everyone believed it would work forever. Everyone except Hari Seldon.As the great scienctific thinker of his age Seldon could not be ignored. Reluctantly, the Commission of Public Safety agreed to finance the Seldon Plan.The coming disaster was predicted by Seldon's advances in psychohistory, the mathematics of very large human numbers, and it could not be averted. The Empire was doomed. Soon Trantor would lie in ruins. Chaos would overtake humanity. But the Seldon Plan was a long term strategy to minimize the worst of what was to come.Two Foundations were set up at opposite ends of the galaxy. Of the Second nothing can be told. It guards the secrets of psychohisotry. FOUNDATION is the story of the First Foundation, on the remote planet of Terminus, from which those secrets were withheld.
The Kitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Call Number: SCI ADAM
ISBN: 9780330437998
One Thursday lunchtime the Earth gets unexpectedly demolished to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. For Arthur Dent, who has only had his house demolished that morning, this seems already to be more than he can cope with. Sadly, however, the weekend has only just begun, and the galaxy is a very strange and startling place.

Student reviews

What is Science fiction?

Science ficiton is a form of speculative fiction which contains otherworldly or futuristic elements, such as advanced technology, space travel, or extraterrestrial life.

Popular examples of the science fiction genre are Dune, Foundation, and Star Wars.

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Science fiction news

As Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) stated in the first Thor movie, '[Science fiction is] a precursor to science fact'.

With the recent release of many advanced AI systems to the public, scientists are talking about the 'Science fiction feedback loop': the idea that science fiction feeds science fact, and science fact in turn feeds science fiction. With the release of ChatGPT's latest itineration, people made paralells between the real life AI and the fictional AI asisstant in the 2013 film 'Her'. 'Her' starred Scarlett Johansen as the voice of Samantha, an advanced AI that would learn and develop over time. In the movie Samantha is the assistant to Joaquin Phoenix's Theodore, and over the length of the film they develop a close, romantic relationship. While it was clear that 'Her' had influenced the creation of ChatGPT, the movie had equally been inspired by a real life precursor to ChatGPT, the early AI system ALICE. ALICE was one of the first AI's to be developed with it's own personality (a young woman), and was for a long time the AI closest to passing the Turing Test. Spike Jonze, the writer of 'Her' had interacted with ALICE almost a decade before the movies release, directly influencing the movie. You can read more about the science ficiton feedback loop in this article from The Conversation.

Have a recommendation?

Do you have a favorite book you're desperate to share with your friends, or just something you've heard about and really want to try?

The library is always looking for new book recommendations. Email libraries@tintern.vic.edu.au and let us know what you would like to see added to our collection.